Life Or Love
by aragorn88123
Summary: Takes place before The Mummy, an alternate way that Rick and Evy meet and fall in love. Evy has to decide between love or life. Working on more chapters. Chapter 14 is finished and so is this story.
1. Chapter 1: Learning

**Life or Love**

Brief Description: Takes place before The Mummy, an alternate way that Rick and Evy meet and fall in love. Evy has her own library and has two very unique customers that come in almost every day. She has to decide between love or life.

Disclaimer: I do not own all of these characters. I own Jenny, Steven Sommers owns everyone else.

**Chapter 1: Learning**

Evy had just got up and was ready to go to work. She wanted to get an early start so she could put returned books back on the shelves. When she got to work a problem up rose, she had forgot to lock the door to the library when she left last night. She got so caught up in work that when she walked out she just closed the door. She was also wrapped up in a customer that she had met. The customer came in so many times a week that Evy had made a new friend. Every day was a different book about some exotic land or foreign language. Today, Evy was sure that the customer was going to work on Egypt or learn the language of French. Evy was really excited about seeing the customer again and couldn't wait. After a few minutes, Evy got bored and was beginning to think that the customer wasn't coming. Just then the customer walked in. She was a tall blonde with blue eyes, and pale skin.

"Hello Jen. I believe that you are up to French in language and Egypt in foreign lands." Evy gave a smile as she picked the books up from under the desk.

Jenny smiled back at her, "Haven't you been to Egypt?"

"Yep. I worked at a library there. I love Egypt."

"Yeah, I noticed with all the books that you have. Most of them are about Egypt. It's like you have an obsession with it."

Evy blushed a little, "Well my father was a very famous explorer and my mother was an Egyptian so I guess you could say that I have Egypt's in my blood."

Jenny checked out her books and was walking toward the door when a tall, brown haired man walked in. This was his second time coming in the library and Evy felt that it was because of her.

"Hello. Is there a certain book that you are looking for that I can help you find?" Evy was talking as politely as she could. She wanted her conversation with Jenny to last longer but it was cut short because of him.

"No, I was just going to look around. I'm not interested in a particular subject right now. I have a feeling that I will be if I look around." He walked off down an aisle to find a subject to look up but he wasn't particularly interested in books. His eyes were set to the woman behind the desk.

This was Richard "Rick" O'Connell. A gruff looking man, like the ones you would find in a prison. He had never been to prison as far as Evy knew. She had a feeling that every time he came in he was going to come to the desk and ask her on a date. Evy wasn't really up for dating, but her brother, Jonathan Carnahan, was. In fact he had been out with so many women, and brought so many of them home that Evy was always confused on who they were. His latest catch was a blond woman by the name of Sheila. She was what Evy classified as a snob. Evy didn't like it very much when she came over because she would try to make up some fact to make Evy look less smart around her brother. Evy knew that most of the stuff that Sheila said was all made up because she once said that Egypt had a breed of kangaroo. The only kangaroos that Evy knew of were in the zoos. Another thing that Evy didn't like was that Sheila wasn't big on clothes. Every time that Evy would get up and go down stairs, Sheila would come down about five minutes later wearing nothing at all. Each time that Evy told Jonathan to do something about it, he would try to defend her saying things like, "She's natural. She doesn't wear clothes because she wants to be the way nature made her." Evy scoffed at comments like that because there were a couple of things that Evy knew were not put on her by nature.

"I think I have found a book." Evy snapped out of her little world of hatred to scan the book that Rick had brought to her.

"The Egyptian Hieroglyphic. Good book. Are you interested in learning to read the hieroglyphs?"

"Yeah. I will be going to Egypt to find some artifacts from Ancient Egypt and my boss said that I will need to learn so I know what I pick up." He smiled and walked out the door.

It was 10:00 p.m. now and Evy was getting ready to close up. She remembered to lock the door and made her way home. She walked in the door and freaked out. Jonathan and Sheila were on the couch making out.

"You have a room don't you! GET TO IT! I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS!" Evy took them by surprise. They immediately got up and went upstairs to Jonathan's room.

Evy finished up her supper and walked to her room. She couldn't stop thinking about Jenny and Rick.


	2. Chapter 2: New Found Love

**Chapter 2: New Found Love**

Evy sat behind her computer wondering what to do. No books have been returned yet and all she wanted to do was to see Rick and Jenny. Just as she abandoned hope again Jenny walked in with book in hand.

"Are you already done with that? You just checked it out yesterday." Evy was shocked because the book that Jenny had brought with her was the French language book that Evy let her borrow.

"No, I haven't finished it. I thought I would read it here since it seems so quiet here. I can't go to my apartment because my room mate is having a party. Is it ok with you that I read it here?" Jenny looked at Evy and could tell that she approved of her reading the book at the library.

"Sure. There are tables in the back that you can sit at if you want. Go strait down the W section and turn to your left and you should see a room full of tables. You might have to take some chairs down to sit but it's nice back there. You won't have to put up with the people coming in and going out of the library."

"Thanks. The only thing your missing is a coffee machine and some food machines."

Evy gave her a smile and Jenny walked to the room with tables and chairs. It was named, very badly, "The Reading Room". Evy didn't change the name seeing that it was originally put there by the previous owner and Evy was just to busy to change it. Soon after she had returned to sitting behind her desk at her computer, Rick walked in holding the book that he checked out.

"There are something's written in this book that I find very disturbing. Like mummification. That sounds like a horrible process. I know you're dead when they do it but that's just wrong." Rick had a look of discussed on his face. He placed the book on the desk then turned and walked to the door.

"Wait. You said that you were going to Egypt, have you been there before?"

"No. Why?" Rick was puzzled.

"I have maps of Egypt. They go into detailed city maps as well as maps of the deserts. Would you like to see them?"

"Sure."

They turned and walked toward an old desk that was covered in scratches and had shelves with old and new looking maps. Evy pulled a map down from the second shelf from the top and opened the atlas of Egypt.

"This, as you can tell, is the map of Egypt. It shows page numbers of maps of the city's in Egypt."

After a while of looking over the maps with Rick he said, "Can these be checked out?"

"The new ones can, but I am the only one that can take the old ones home." Evy let out a little giggle, "Why would you even want to take an old map home? It was stupid to tell you that I was the only one…never mind." Rick gave a little chuckle. He leaned in toward her and try to kiss her on the lips but only managed to hit her cheek. Evy had turned her head just in time so he couldn't kiss her on the lips. He walked out a little embarrassed. Evy turned to go back to her desk and saw Jenny standing in the same aisle.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Jenny asked with a little smile.

"WHAT!" Evy was shocked at this, "No. I just met him yesterday. I don't know him."

"So he's a guy that is just trying to get a little action is that it?" Jenny let out a cute giggle.

"I guess. What's so funny?"

"A total stranger comes up to you and tries to kiss you. You don't know him yet he is starting a relationship with you."

"It's not that funny. It's kind of creepy if you think about it long enough."

Jenny went back to the reading room and finished the book. Evy went back to sit at her desk when she heard Jenny yell.

"EVY!"

Evy ran to the reading room to find out what the problem was.

"What is it?" She came in with a look of horror on her face but it let up after she saw what Jenny was screaming about.

"WHAT IS THAT!"

"It's a mummy. You've been in this room for about a hour and you didn't know that was there?"

"I wasn't paying attention to anything in this room but my book. Anyway, I think I'm going to go home now. It has to be at least 10 or 11."

"11:30 exact. I better get home too. No telling what my brother and his girlfriend are up to. Did you finish your book?"

"Yes. I think I'll wait till tomorrow to check out another but here's this book."

Evy took the book up to her desk and put it on the cart. She grabbed her keys and was waiting for Jenny to leave so she could lock up. Jenny went out to her car and Evy turned around to lock the door. Before she got the key into the key hole Rick was running to get to her.

"Wait. I need to return these maps."

"You'll have to wait till tomorrow. I'm closing up. Sorry." Evy looked at him with sympathy. She thought that he had ran all the way to her library to return the maps and wasted it all just to hear that the library was closed.

"I thought that I should return it tonight because it has come to some close calls. I almost spilt ink and soda on this one. I don't think I'm lucky in taking good care of things." Rick was panting for breath and Evy gave in and allowed him to put the maps on her desk.

Evy was glad that he came back because she had a question about earlier today and what he did, "Why did you try to kiss me?"

Rick hesitated for a moment then looked up at her with puppy eyes, "To tell the truth, I think I have a thing for you. I know we barely know each other but I couldn't help it."

"Well at least your being honest and not saying something like 'I think your hot and just had to kiss you' that would have gotten you a swift kick in the arse." Evy looked at him smiling and noticed that he was looking at her with a puppy kind of face. She thought this was so cute and couldn't help but say, "If you want to we can go to a café I know of and get to know each other, then we will see where that gets us."

"Are you asking me out?" Rick looked at her suspiciously then smiled.

"Maybe I am, does it matter?" She gave him a sweet look then turned to go to her car, "Meet me there around 11 in the morning, we can get coffee and talk about our lives. Get to know each other and anything else we can think of." She turned and got into her car.

"Wait, what is the name of the café?" Rick didn't want to miss his opportunity to chat with a woman that he was infatuated with.

"The London Café. It's just a few block down this road. I go there for lunch. See you there." She waved and pulled out of the parking lot. She looked at the rearview mirror and saw Rick getting into his own car. She felt so silly for thinking that he had ran all the way to her library. She got home and to her amazement Jonathan was not necking with his girlfriend. Instead he was sitting on the couch drinking whisky.

"What's wrong with you? Did Sheila break up with you?" Evy had a hopeful thought that she had and was gone.

"No, I left her. She was getting to into leaving the house to see an ex-boyfriend of hers and I didn't believe her when she said that she wasn't cheating so, I broke it off." Jonathan took another swig of whisky then fell over on the couch and started to sob.

Evy felt sorry that her brother had to break it off but at the same time she was glad Sheila was out of the house for good or at least a little while. She went over to her brother, picked up his head, sat down and laid his head on her lap.

"I'm sorry it wasn't working out with Sheila but look at it this way your single again and can look for another girl to have." She gave him the same sympathetic look that she gave Rick.

"What are you talking about, being sorry that Sheila didn't work out. You hated her and don't lie to me right now, I know she got on your nerves because every time she was around you gave her that look of pure hatred. Half the time you would 'forget' to put a plate out for her during dinner. You almost always made a snide comment to her when she was trying to be smart." Jonathan gave a small laugh as he thought of how he knew his sister was smarter than Sheila tried to make herself.

"I can't help it if the woman was wrong about everything she thought she knew. She wasn't the smartest person in the world. Most of the time I assumed that she thought with those things on her chest and not with her brain. I also can't help that I am sorry it didn't work but I have a friend that might be interested in you. Do you want to meet her? I could set up something with her where you two can get together and learn something about each other. Mined you, she doesn't look like Sheila but she is still good looking, and she's smart." Evy gave him a smile. "I think I'm going to bed now. Stop drinking and get a good nights sleep that way you will be well rested to meet my friend."

"She won't meet me tomorrow, knowing my luck she won't meet me at all."

"She might, you never know. Stop being so negative and go to bed."

They both walked to their rooms and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: The London Cafe

**Chapter 3: The London Café**

Evy got up and was about ready to get out of her night gown when the phone rang. She wasn't awake enough to register it but then picked the phone up, "Hello."

"Hi. I need to speak with Jonathan, Evy." Evy knew the voice, it was Sheila.

"I don't know if he's awake yet, Sheila. You'll have to call back later." Evy started to get angry at the fact that this woman was cheating, or so Evy liked to think, on her brother and still had the nerve to call the house.

"Well wake his ass up so I can talk to him. He's treating me like I'm a tramp." Evy heard a little sob come from the phone.

"What your not a tramp? That's news to me. I had you figured as a person that slept with anyone that she thought had money." Evy actually did think that she was a tramp, of course though, Evy didn't really like having her in the house or around her brother.

"Stop being a bitch and put Jonathan on the phone!" Sheila was at the point of yelling now.

Evy took the phone away from her ear and looked at it with shock and discussed. As you can guess though she didn't stay on the phone, she hung up the phone and got dressed. She didn't bother to wake Jonathan and tell him about Sheila's comments. She got to her car and drove away from the house to get to work. When she parked she noticed Jenny sitting in her car looking at the cover of the book on Egypt. Evy thought she would be sneaky and walked to the car staying out of sight. She tapped on the window and scared Jenny so much that she pulled mace out of her purse and pointed it at the window.

"It's ok, Jen. It's me. I know that was mean but I couldn't resist the urge to scare you. You were just sitting in your car minding your own business." Evy laughed some till she saw Jenny's stern face.

"That wasn't funny. Had the window been open, I would have sprayed you in the face with this and it's not very fun to be sprayed with, trust me. A friend accidentally did it to me." Jenny still wasn't looking very happy.

"Sorry. Come on we can go inside and find a book for you." Evy walked with Jenny to the door and unlocked it. "In we go."

Evy and Jenny walked into the library, Evy behind the desk and Jenny in front of it. Evy put the book that Jenny had returned on the cart and was getting ready to check out two new books to her when Rick walked in. He was clean shaven and no longer looked grufy. In Evy's eyes, Rick looked quiet handsome. Jenny walked out of the room and to the reading room to leave Evy and Rick alone.

"Hello Evy. Are we still on for today?" Rick smelled like Old Spice. Evy truly thought that he had applied to much cologne.

"I guess, if your plans haven't changed. I'm pretty sure that mine are still the same. I do have to talk to Jenny before I leave." Evy looked at the clock and noticed that she had 30 minutes to talk to Jenny. "So, is there a certain reason that you came or did you just have to see me before lunch."

"I wanted to be a gentleman and pick you up. Isn't that what the guy is suppose to do on a date?" Rick gave a smile.

"I never said it was a date, but it was nice that you came to pick me up. I'll be ready in a minute. Let me go talk to Jenny real quick and I'll meet you at your car." With that Evy walked back to the reading room. Jenny was sitting on the couch reading her books but stopped to look up and see who walked in the room, "Jenny can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?" Jenny put her books down and sat up a bit.

"Would you be interested in a day to get to know my brother? I assure you, he's not that bad once you get to know him. He just broke up with a girl that I didn't like and I figured since you're both single that you could get together, chat, and maybe even start dating. You could have a day like Rick and I are going to have today."

"Sure, I would have to see what day I could do it but I would love to meet your brother. What's his name?"

"Jonathan. Don't allow him to have a drink containing alcohol or he'll keep drinking and never stop. He's not really an alcoholic but he does drink if he has a chance."

"I'll try to keep him away from it but I can't promise anything." Jenny smiled and went back to her reading as Evy walked out of the room and back to Rick.

"Ready for our date?" Evy grabbed her purse and walked toward the door.

"I thought you said it wasn't a date." Rick gave her a smile and walked with her to the car.

They arrived at the café at about 11:30 and sat at one of the tables outside. They didn't start any conversation until the waitress left and they had there drinks.

"So, I take it you are originally from Britain. Have you ever left this island?" Rick took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes, actually, I've been to Egypt. I worked there awhile before coming back to London and starting my own business. You're from America so, besides England have you been anywhere else?"

"Yes I have. I went to France once and almost got my self in some trouble with the French Police. They almost signed me up for the Foreign Leagin . I got out of it by coming here. Little did I know that I would sign up for a job that has me traveling to other countries. You said you have been to Egypt, would you like to go with me? I can bring someone with me if they know the land and can help with my job."

"I don't know. We still don't know each other that well. How old were you when you moved here? I was 27 when I moved back and I've been here ever since."

"I was 28 when I moved here. My turn, what are your parents like? I was an orphan so I don't know what it's like with parents."

"Both of my parents are dead. My dad was an explorer and my mom was and Egyptian. I guess that's why I'm into Egypt so much. The only person I have left in my family is my brother Jonathan. He doesn't do anything but sit at home and watch TV or go out with friends. He's currently not employed so I have to make the money to pay the bills." Evy took a drink of her tea then looked up at Rick.

"What is your last name? I never figured that one out." Rick drank the rest of his coffee.

"Carnahan…wait that brings up a question, how did you know my first name?" Evy looked suspicious.

"I over heard your friend say your name the night that I retuned the maps." Rick gave a smile and thanked the waitress for filling up his empty cup.

"Oh. I thought you might have been stalking me or something. At the time I thought nothing of it because I was to wrapped up in the conversation with Jenny and wanting to come to the café with you." Evy finished her cup of tea.

They talked on and on about past history and future dreams. Before they knew it, 2 o'clock was rounding on them. Evy had to get back to work so they went to Rick's car and went back to the library. Rick dropped her off and asked her again about going with him to Egypt, "I think I would like to go with you. You seem like an adventurous person." She leaned in the window and kissed him good-bye.

"Wow. You actually kissed me." Rick was extremely shocked.

"Yeah well, it's the last bit of our date and usually you would walk me to the door but I figured you have to get to work so I gave you a good-bye kiss without you getting out of the car." She walked toward the door, turned and waved good-bye. She had the feeling that the relationship between him and her was going to work out real well. She just got inside the door when Jenny greeted her.

"How was your date, or is that what you would classify it as?" Jenny smiled.

"Yes it was a date and it went extremely well. I agreed to go to Egypt with him for his job." Evy walked to her desk and sat behind her computer.

"You're not suppose to take the next date out of country. You're suppose to bring him home to meet the family and then tell him to go home before you sleep with him." Jenny gave Evy an opened mouth look. She couldn't believe that she was going to leave the country with a man that she just started to go out with.

"I work differently. Besides I want to see Egypt again. The pyramids and the sphinx, all very beautiful structures and the museums and artifacts that are there." She gave a small sigh and closed her eyes.

"I guess I'll leave you alone in your dream land. I need to get back to reading anyway. Besides it's not my business." Jenny walked off to the reading room to finish reading. She didn't come back till 10 and they both left talking about what Evy would pack and wear.

When Evy got home, she told Jonathan about the date that she had almost set up and how Jenny would have to check her schedule to make sure she could do it. They both went to bed thinking about their new dates. Evy fell asleep thinking about Rick and smiled.


	4. Chapter 4: The Trip

**Chapter 4: The Trip**

She woke up the next day thinking that it was going to be an ordinary day like every other but then remembered a dream that she had about Rick and her on their trip to Egypt. They had just arrived there and went out into the desert to find something of historical importance or something worth keeping and they found a body in the sand. Evy was horrified to find Jonathan's eyeless body laying in the sand half decade and full of sand. All of a sudden the body jumped up at her and started speaking in a foreign language that Evy didn't know and Rick was no where to be seen so she couldn't scream for help. Then she started to fall into what seemed like a bottomless pit and finally hit the floor of her room waking up instantly. She got up to put her self back in bed but it was no use, she couldn't go back to sleep. She went to her dresser and picked up her undergarments and then made her way to the closet to find something to wear when Rick arrived to take them to the airport. Just as she put her jeans on and was buttoning her blouse, the phone rang which scared the crap out of her. She went to answer it but apparently Jonathan had already picked up the phone.

"Wait a minute, Jonathan's never up this early." She sneaked out of her room fully dressed and buttoned. She went down to the living room to find Jonathan sitting on the couch, "What are you doing up? You're sleeping about now."

"Couldn't sleep. I was to excited about what you said. Jenny is actually going to meet with me? I have this feeling in my stomach, it feels as though my stomach doesn't exist." Jonathan rubbed his stomach making sure it was still there.

"It's called butterflies. You get butterflies in your stomach when your nervous." Evy smiled and went to the kitchen to make some tea. When she got back Jonathan was fast asleep. She was quiet as possible when she went outside with her mug of tea to wait for Rick.

It was almost 1 in the afternoon and Rick still didn't show up. Evy had brought the phone outside after she finished her mug of tea just in case he called to tell her something about the trip. She waited and waited till she couldn't wait anymore and called Rick.

"Hello," it was a female voice on the other end.

"Is Rick at home?"

"No he just stepped out. May I ask who's calling?" The voice sounded familiar to Evy but she couldn't quite get it.

"This is Evelyn Carnahan. He was suppose to meet me at my house so we could go to Egypt."

"Oh, his trip was cancelled this morning. He just left to go to France and find out why."

"Do you know when he'll be back?" Evy was getting agitated. She thought that Rick was her boyfriend and the fact that the trip had been cancelled and he didn't tell her.

"He'll be back tomorrow at 5 p.m. but I don't know if he will be able to call. He has some work waiting for him here." Evy didn't know what that meant and didn't think she wanted to know. She hung up without saying good bye to the woman and stormed off to work. If she got there early enough she might be able to catch Jenny and talk about her and Jonathan. The only problem was that Evy was 4 hour late. By this time Jenny had been and gone from the library. Evy was so frustrated with herself and the woman that she had just talk to. _Was Rick cheating on me with some woman he met just last night! _She was so mad she couldn't even put the returned books in the right places. _How could he do this to me! Wait, we weren't going out in the first place were we? If not why would he have asked me to go to Egypt with him?_ Just as she started to tear up, Jenny walked in and walked swiftly to her desk.

"I thought you were suppose to be gone? And what's the idea of not storming over to his place of business, break down the door, and start smacking him around?" Jenny seemed really upset but why would she be mad when Evy was the one who had just talk to a lady at Rick's work and been stood up.

"Three reasons: 1. Rick has a new girlfriend and stood me up, 2. I have to work, and 3. Rick's not at his place of business as you put it. He is out of town, in France to be correct." Evy went red from embarrassment and rage toward Rick and his new girl.

"Oh my god, Evy I'm so sorry. You should send that slut a threat, and I mean Rick. First telling you that he wants to go out with you then meeting another woman. Men these days aren't as good as they use to be." Jenny rolled her eyes and went to the reading room just as mad as Evy was.

After 4 hours, Evy couldn't take it anymore. She told Jenny to lock up when she was done and stormed out of the library. She drove and drove and drove but didn't know where she was going. She wanted to get as far way as possible. She soon ran out of gas and had to call Jenny to come get her and take her to Rick's work. Jenny drove strait to Rick's work and things began to get strange. Evy didn't know how and didn't want to be rude and ask.

"You're probably wondering how I knew where he worked aren't you. The truth is I am the one that you hung up on. I work with him, he's my brother." Evy just stared at her with a great amount of surprise.

"I am so sorry that I hung up on you. I didn't know you worked with him or that you were even related to him. Why didn't you tell me? I knew your voice sounded familiar over the phone." Evy was still in the shock stage of what was being said.

"I never told you because I thought that you would back off of him because you didn't want your best friend to get mad knowing that you were going out with her brother. It's just something that his last girlfriend did. She left after she found out that I was his sister just because she wanted our friendship to last. I went with what you said just to see if you would ask me to go with you and take you to his work that way you would find out that something was weird and ask me if I was the one going out with him. I thought it was funny when I was saying that Rick was a slut but you just sat there and didn't do anything. Sorry I didn't tell you earlier but I wanted to see how far it would get before you found out and I didn't want you to break it off with Rick. I think you make a good couple actually." Jenny smiled and to her surprise Evy smiled back.

"Maybe I should have done that with Sheila and then she would have been gone faster." Evy laughed as Jenny let out a little snort.

"Rick should be back tomorrow and I'm sure that he'll try to explain himself."

"Maybe I should go with this whole thing and make him think that I am mad because a girl that I don't know answered the phone. Just to see what he does." Evy laughed again and Jenny turned the car around taking Evy back to her home.

"If you want to you could stay at my place for tonight. How far is it to your house?" Evy was collecting her things from the now deserted car that she left at the side of the road.

"Sure. It's about 15 miles from your house. I followed you one day to find out where you lived that's how I know that. Maybe then I can meet and talk to your brother."

"I forgot that you had to do that. I was so mad to find out that the Egypt trip was cancelled that I forgot to tell you that my brother had trouble sleeping because he was thinking about you." Evy caught Jenny's laugh, "I'm serious he did. He was up when I was suppose to leave for work which is unusual for him because he usually sleeps till 4 in the afternoon. He's probably worried to death about me but then again he doesn't know that I went to work instead of going to Rick."

When they got to Evy's house, she went strait to bed not only to sleep but to give Jenny and Jonathan time to get to know each other. Evy fell asleep and was awakened by Jonathan's voice, "In the morning, don't walk around the house naked, Evy hates that." Evy thought to herself, "OH MY GOD JONATHAN! That is not the way to start a good relationship," but she heard Jenny laugh and thought, "At least she laughed instead of smack him." Everything went quiet and Evy assumed that Jenny and Jonathan were getting ready to sleep and fell to sleep immediately.


	5. Chapter 5: Rick's Back

**Chapter 5: Rick's Back**

It was about 2 week later when Rick returned. During his absence, Jenny and Jonathan started to date and Evy started to get worried.

"I don't understand how it could take this long to figure something that small out. I wish he would just return now and we can get married and have kids…" Evy stopped herself. She caught what she said and was glad that Jenny was the only one that heard her. "That is after we get to know each other. Look, if that got you mad or something I'm sorry. I just really miss him." Jenny looked up at her from her place on the couch. She smiled weakly. She was hoping that Evy wasn't kidding because she wanted a nephew or niece to take care of.

"It's ok. I was hopping that you did get married and have kids. I would love it if my brother was a one woman man and if I had a niece or nephew to take off your hands when you guys want to go dancing or out to a restaurant." She smiled again and the door bell rang just in time to get out of there before she said something that she would have been sorry for.

When she got to the door she was thinking about how she would answer it. She didn't live there nor was she part of the family. Would she introduce herself as an O'Connell or as a Carnahan. She wasn't going to answer it as a Carnahan because she wasn't married so she just opened the door and said, "Hello…" She paused and looked at the man standing in the door way. It was Rick, her brother, or was it. This man looked more grufy and allot older for some reason, but it was Rick. She could tell by the tattoos that he had on his hand and that glint in his eyes that he had every time he saw her.

"How did you know we were here?" Jenny was a little freaked about the fact that he knew where Evy lived and that he knew she was there, or did he know she was going to be there. Of course he did if he went by the house or the business.

"I looked Carnahan up in the phone book after I went to work and found that you weren't there. I figured you were here or at the library and since I went by there when I went home and saw no cars I figured that you were here and looked it up." Evy was sitting in the dinning room when she heard that unforgettably sweet voice. She ran into the living room to find out if it was just her imagination.

"Rick? Is that really you?" She didn't wait. She took a running start and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him. "Don't leave like that again or I will be forced to tackle you next time." She smiled and laughed as she looked into his eyes. She couldn't have been happier to see anyone except her parents. He put her down and went to where he thought the kitchen should be. He found the frig and pulled out a sandwich and some milk before he was asked if he would like something to eat or drink.

"Sorry for just bursting into your kitchen but that flight was murder. First stop was in Spain because they thought that a wing was hit by lighting which took them two hours to figure out if there was a problem then we got to the outskirts of London and they decided that we should stop and refuel. We got back into the plain and we finally made it to London." Rick took a bite out of the sandwich and drank the milk. There was one thing puzzling Evy right now and it wasn't his flight back to London.

"What took so long with the trip problem? It shouldn't have took two weeks for you to get home." Evy looked at him waiting for answer.

"The boss was out of town for 5 days and when he got back he was sick from some foreign virus that he caught going to Egypt which is why I didn't have to go. He figured that it was easier and cheaper for him to go because he was closer. If I went with you it would have made his company pay more and they would also have to change the hotel reservation because it was a single not a double." Rick took another bite of the sandwich and looked at Evy for a while. He missed that face, those eyes, and her lips touching his. He missed being with her.

"What?" She was smiling at him with a bewildered look.

"I just missed you so much. Can we have another date? I know of a Chinese restaurant that has the best Chow Mien." He finished his sandwich with his third bite.

"I've missed you too and of course we can go on another date. I don't think I've been to that restaurant if it was new."

"It was built about 6 weeks before I left for France so yeah it is kind of new." He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

She smiled and got up from the kitchen table. She walked to an extra bedroom to get it ready for Rick. She didn't want him in her room because she thought that was moving a little fast. They only had one date but then again she did jump on him and kissed him. It was still to fast to go straight to him sleeping in the same room as her. She also wanted that to wait till after they were married. That's when the kids could come in. She wanted at least 2. She walked back in the kitchen and told Rick were he would sleep. He had no objection to this because he thought he knew how she felt and he himself thought that sleeping in the same bed or even room was a little fast. They went to the living room to talk for a little while. They ended up staying up late to watch a movie that Evy had been wanting to see for week. Then decided that this was the right time to go to bed the only thing was Evy didn't feel like moving. She was in Rick's arms, the movie was a romantic one and she found a great time to move close to him, and she didn't want to get out of his arms. Rick was enjoying it just as much as she was. He liked the smell of her hair in his face. He liked the warmth of her body on his as she lay on his chest. They were enjoying it so much that they ended up doing something that they were against since Rick got home. Rick shifted to a laying down position and Evy laid on top of him, her head on his chest listening to his heart pound away at his insides. They fell asleep not paying any attention to the body parts that were now falling asleep with them.


	6. Chapter 6: The Right Time

**Chapter 6: The Right Time**

They woke up in a very uncomfortable position. Rick was still laying on the couch but Evy found her way behind him. She had one arm around him, the other tucked under her, and her leg was being squished by his. Rick on the other hand was half on half off the couch, an arm around Evy and his other placed above his head. She smiled and tried not to show pain being that he was the one that had is leg on hers. He got up and allowed her to stretch out on the couch for a while and then she got up and went upstairs to her room to get dressed and ready for work. When she came back down, Rick was in the kitchen fixing pancakes, eggs, sausage, and bacon. There was coffee in the pot, orange juice on the table, and four plates and sets of silverware on the table. She found Jenny and Jonathan sitting at the table talking about the movie that they watched the previous night. They allowed Evy and Rick some time to get off the couch but found them sleeping on it together this morning. Evy sat next to her brother and Jenny was across from her as she started to put food on the plates, Jenny grabbed her hand, "You don't have to do that you know?"

"I know I don't but I thought it would be nice instead of me just digging in for myself and leaving you guys to get your own food." Evy smiled and finished what she was doing. Rick came to the table shortly after he finished the eggs.

"So, I guess you guys ended up doing something that you didn't want to do in the first place." Jonathan smiled and Jenny laughed and grabbed his hand.

"Shut up Jonathan. You know it was because of that movie. It made me sad to see the guys wife die in the end." Evy looked at Rick for reinforcement but none came. Rick was to busy eating his meal.

"It's not that funny Jonathan. Besides, it wasn't like they weren't sleeping during the movie." Rick was looking at his sisters hand on Jonathans. He didn't know about them going out together and wasn't happy to see her touching him.

"Why do you have you hand on his?" Rick was trying to keep his cool.

"We're going out. I forgot to tell you about that. While you were gone I told Evy that I would talk and get to know her brother like you guys did that day at London Café. We got to know each other and started to date." She smiled at Jonathan again and pat his leg. Rick still wasn't happy that the information hadn't been past to him but was feeling happier knowing that his sister wasn't touching him for no reason.

After breakfast the four parted ways. Rick and Jenny to their place of business and Evy to hers. Jonathan was staying home to call some people about a job, Evy almost laughed at that, and to do some grocery shopping at the market, also shocked Evy. Jenny was the only costumer that Evy saw for awhile. She came in to tell her that Rick wanted to meet her at lunch for their next date. It was in 2 hours so Evy had time to straiten books, order some on the internet, and tend to a costumer that came in looking for a book about Czech Republic. It was 11:00 exact when Rick came in to retrieve Evy for the date. When they got to the China Palace they talked about how things went the two weeks that Rick had been gone and Rick was pleased to hear that Evy didn't give up on him. He took her back to the library and Evy got settled into her roll chair. She was just about to get comfortable when Jenny walk in to go to the reading room.

"You got your next book?" Evy smiled at her knowing that she had it.

"Nope. You have it. How was your date?" Jenny smiled back and grabbed her book.

"It was great. We got caught up on everything that he had missed, mostly about you and my brother. We got back here and he wouldn't let me out of the car. He said that it was to hard to let me go but I told him that he would see me at my house."

"What do you mean? Are we coming over for supper again?" Jenny was a little puzzled but didn't think to much into it. The truth was that she wanted to move in with Jonathan so she could be closer to him. She also knew that Rick was wanting to move in with Evy but thought that if he asked would be totally out of line.

"We talked about living arrangements and I told him that he could move in. You have to stay at the other house of course to look out for it but he said that he would rather have you waiting at the house so you could pay the bills on it."

"WHAT! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM. WHERE IS HE? I WANT TO KNOW SO I CAN JUST MURDER HIM NOW AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT ANYMORE." Jenny's face was going redder than the strips on the British flag outside. She started for the door but Evy beat her to it.

"I was only kidding. You will stay with us too. You just have to put up with Jonathan, Rick, and me if you do. I'm so sorry that I did that. I just thought that now that I'm going to be your sister-in-law, I could play tricks on you…" Evy just realized what she said. She had given the secret away and wasn't suppose to. She was suppose to wait till Jonathan was there.

"You and Rick are getting married? That's moving a little fast isn't it. Hell if you were going to do that you should have slept together by now."

"We did remember, last night on the couch. We didn't get to far before we fell asleep, actually we didn't get anywhere last night before we fell asleep. I'm not so sure that Rick and I are getting married anyway." She was trying to cover it up but knew it wasn't working.

"Well someone has to get married before you can be my sister-in…" Jenny could help but stop after think over the possibilities. _Rick wouldn't want to get married right now because he thought that moving in together was just a little to early. _"Did Jonathan mention something to you about us getting married or are you and Rick getting married?" She was going to get it one way or another. If she had to pin Evy down and tickle it out she would.

"I can't say. You'll have to wait till tonight when the time is right. If I told you now the surprise would be ruined. I don't think you need to know until all of us are together at dinner tonight. Now go read your book." She shooed Jenny back to the reading room.

It was time to leave for home so Evy went back to the reading room to get her and take her to their new home.

"We have to pick Rick up from the old house if that ok with you." Evy got into the car as Jenny locked the library doors.

"I say we leave him there for awhile." Jenny smiled at Evy and climbed into the back seat.

"Why are you sitting back there? You can sit up her you know. At least till we get Rick."

"I don't want to get out of the car and get back into the car just to let my brother sit by his beloved Evy."

They picked Rick up and went to Evy's house. She hadn't let the secret out with Rick for fear of getting him mad. She didn't know how he would take it if he knew that his sister was marring a man that he didn't approve of from the first day he met him. When they got home, to most everybody's surprise, Jonathan had dinner ready and on the table. He had candles set around the table and the nice silverware out.

"I take it he knows already." Rick and Jenny said in unison.

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"Well Evy let slip and I've been trying to figure things out. All I've gotten out of it is confusion. She wouldn't tell me what exactly was going on and said I would know tonight." She sat down at her place near the kitchen sink.

"Rick, don't tell Jenny you don't know what's going on. I don't want her to know that my brother is going to propose." Evy gave him a kiss before he could say anything. "If you do this for me, you might get more than a kiss." She smiled and Rick shut his mouth immediately.

After supper Jonathan helped Evy put things up and wash the dishes all the while talking to her about how he was going to do it and if she thought that he was rushing into things.

"I have no control over you. I found that out along time ago. As for timing make sure she doesn't know your going to do it. If you get down on one knee now she will know that you are going to ask her but if you get her mind on something else she might be shocked when it happens and that is what you want. Not to shocked where she'll say no but shocked enough to be in tears after she says yes." Jonathan looked a little confused but Evy didn't know how to make it easier. She thought of something they could do to help explain it. "Jonathan, join me in my bedroom." He was looking puzzled now more than ever.

"Why?"

"I have a way to explain this better."

They went up to the bedroom after telling Rick and Jenny that they were going to get ready for the news that was going to be told. Evy sat on the bed as Jonathan stood there in bewilderment.

"Now show me how you are going to propose to her." He got down on one knee and Evy stopped him, "Don't do that. She won't be shocked. What you want to do is get her into a movie or show or something and then ask her if you can ask a question. That's when you pull the ring out and show it to her. You get down on one knee then and ask her to marry you. If she is extremely shocked she'll say no but if she is still on Earth after that she'll say yes." They went back down stairs and that's when it hit Jonathan that he needed to watch a movie he had been wanting to see since Monday.

He started the movie and about half way between it Evy nudged him to do it.

"Jenny can I ask you a question?" He sounded a little nervous and Evy thought that Jenny had figured it out by that.

"Sure. What do you want to ask babe?" She stroked his hair and looked into his eyes. Rick looked away as he got down on one knee.

"Will you marry me? I know it's kind of soon but we've known each other longer than Evy and Rick have know each other." He looked back at Evy who glared at him for bring up that small but true fact.

"Oh my god Jonathan. You're right it is a little soon but you're also right about us knowing each other really well. I don't know what to say. Wait yes I do, I will." She was crying just as Evy said she would and jumped up to give Jonathan a big hug along with a kiss on the cheek.

"Congrats Jonathan. I thought you would never get married." Evy was impressed by the way that he did the proposal.

"Well I don't think you'll be getting married anytime soon so there." Jonathan got up and ran upstairs not only out of pure fear that his sister was going to pound his head in but to get ready for bed. It was almost midnight when everyone decided to go to bed.

"Rick, are you ready to sleep in my room now? Don't think that you're going to get something. I'm just asking because I need to feel safe like I did last night but I don't want to sleep on the couch again. It felt safe but wasn't very comfortable when I got up this morning." She rubbed her leg and smiled at him. She wasn't going to allow him to get any tonight because she wanted to be married before anything like giving up her body to him happened.

"I was ready last night to sleep in your room but we slept on the couch and I'm glad we did. That was the first time I have been that close to a woman without her smacking me in the face or trying to kill me." He smiled and together they went upstairs. Jenny soon followed and went into Jonathan's room.

"What are you doing? We're not suppose to sleep together before we get married. I don't want to break tradition." Jonathan hated himself for saying that but he didn't want to end up giving her something that he might wake up and not remember.

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you and good night, jeez." She rolled her eyes in a joking way and walked over to him, kissed him, and went to her room right next door.

Jonathan sat on the bed for a while think over how the wedding would go. He started think of the worst. He would get cold feet and walk out of the church leaving Jenny alone at the alter crying on Evy's shoulder, smearing eye shadow on her vale. Or she would run out on him in the middle of the 'I dos' then meet a guy that was more handsome or something like that. He fell asleep, not wanting to have nightmares of his wedding he changed the subject to the good sides of getting married. Being with the woman you love, and have kids together.

In the other room, Rick and Evy were laying together and talking about the very thing that Jonathan had been thinking about before falling asleep. Rick was trying to figure ways to ruin the wedding like say that he had a reason that they should not be wed but couldn't come up with the reason when Evy asked. Evy, however, was thinking about how she was going to give her brother and best friend the biggest wedding they have ever seen. She was trying to keep it within her limit of money but kept come up with extravagant ways to make the wedding more beautiful. She figure that tomorrow at the library she would tell Jenny some ideas and they could talk all about it with out the guys being there to say that they were being to girly or they were coming up with ideas that no one would be able to pay for. They fell asleep, Evy with her head on Rick's chest again, and she couldn't have been happier. Her brother was getting married and she was with the man she loved.


	7. Chapter 7: Making PlansandBreaking Dates

**Chapter 7: Making Plans and Breaking Dates**

As the days wore on, Evy would come up with other ideas for Jenny's wedding. Running them past her she found out that Jenny wasn't going to be a push over and was delighted that she had her own opinion about things. Some ideas were pushed aside by Jenny and some where improved by her. Evy had yet to come up with an idea that Jenny took and stayed with. Every idea was either bent to something else or thrown in the trash. Evy didn't care, she liked the fact that she wouldn't give in to every thing that Evy came up with.

"What color do you want the brides maid dresses? You could go with white or, as I would like for mine, a navy or dark blue."

"I like the blue idea but I don't think I'll go with navy or dark. I would rather have it either a baby or sky blue. I love light blues. Jonathan wants the men dressed in a white tux. Why, I don't know, but I think it's a bad idea seeing that we will have food at the reception. If anything gets on the tux it is us that will pay to get it clean. He wants the honeymoon in Hawaii but I would rather go to Jamaica or the Bahamas. We're not agreeing on very much right now but we did agree not to have it at a church but near the gardens."

Evy was thrilled with the fact that it was going to be near the gardens but didn't like the fact that her brother and soon to be sister-in-law were thinking about going on a honeymoon so far away. She knew that Jonathan didn't have the money to do that and she didn't want to spend too much on them for their wedding but she also thought that Rick would do anything for his sister. The only thing that Rick wasn't doing was helping to plan her wedding. He proved that he didn't want anything to do with the wedding one day when he asked Evy to go out on a dinner date with him.

"What do you mean? Jenny said that she needed my help with this whole thing."

"Please Evy. Do this for me. I need a day were I can spend some time with you and not around this wedding."

"Ok. I'm not making promises but I'll go on a dinner date with you. Let's say next Friday at eight."

"Ok. Friday night at eight. I won't be late in picking you up."

"Now that was just absurd to say because you know we live in the same house now." She laughed and it faded to a smile. He kissed her and then walked back to his car to go back home. Evy and Jenny were in the library looking up places in London to have the wedding. Jonathan had decided for them that a wedding in a garden was a bad idea because of all the pollen so they needed a new place for it.

"How about the Tower of London? History isn't to great but it is a beautiful place."

"What's the history about it?" Jenny didn't know to much about things in London so she had Evy explain most of them.

"Let's just say allot of people died there. They call it the 'Bloody Tower of London' because of all the death and gore that happened back in the dark days of London."

"Oh. That's ok as long as it's not said to be haunted. That wouldn't be a good place to get married with all those people going around scary people."

"Then we need to find another place. It's said to be haunted. You could always have it outside the tower which would be the best place because the tower itself is a museum."

They went over and over and found no place better than the Tower of London so they went with it. Other places you would have to be a cop or an employee to get into them or around them. Evy found that Friday rolled around fast and thought that she would be able to go with Rick but that all changed.

"Evy, you can't go with him today. I have to pick and fit the gowns for my brides maids. I thought you were going to be one but if you would rather go I understand." Jenny wasn't trying to put pressure on Evy and didn't want it to sound as if she was being selfish and wanted Evy to go with her more than her brother. Evy didn't think of it that way but didn't like the fact that she would have to choose between Rick and the wedding of her brother.

"I'll have to call Rick and tell him that I can't tonight. Give me a minute." She called Rick and told him about the fitting and he wasn't exactly happy but he understood that she was trying to help his sister.

After the fitting of the gowns for the brides maids, Evy tried to get back onto Rick's good side but found it really hard to do.

"Fine. Next Friday we will go to the London Café and celebrate our anniversary. Would that make you happier? I don't want us to grow apart just because you think that I am choosing your sister over you. I didn't want to go to the fitting but I didn't want to let your sister down at the same time. Please forgive me and let me make it up to you by going to lunch with you next Friday."

He looked at her for awhile then smiled, "Ok. But you have to promise this time that you will be there and won't cancel it. This is our anniversary that we're talking about. It may not be the anniversary of us being married but it is still important." He gave her a hug and went to bed. She stayed up late in her library on the 2nd floor looking up different types of flowers that might look good with the light color blue and the white that Jenny and Jonathan picked out. Jenny wasn't able to talk Jonathan out of the white but was happy enough when he said that he approved of the color of dress that she picked out.

She fell asleep with a book about different flowers that might be available through the downtown flower shop. Rick walked in and the way she was sleeping made him laugh. He picked her up and walked with her in his arms into their room. She slept most of the day and finally woke up at around 1. She went strait to Jenny to tell her about the flowers she found. They went to pick up the flowers only to run into Jonathan as he was buying flowers. Just to mess with him Jenny walked up looking furious.

"WHO ARE THOSE FOR MAY I ASK? GOING OUT AND CHEATING ON ME BEFORE WE'RE EVEN MARRIED ARE YOU?" Jonathan looked so terrified at the moment but caught the smile on Jenny's face.

"Don't joke like that. You nearly killed me." He was going to mess with her now, "TRYING TO COLLECT ON LIFE INSURANCE? THAT'T JUST TO BAD YOU WON'T GET IT! EVY WILL!" They both laughed and walked out together leaving Evy all alone. She walked back to the car and went back home.

Friday soon crept up on her. She was so busy with the flower arrangements that she didn't notice. However, Rick was there to remind her about there date. They met up at the library when he reminded her about that.

"Sorry, Rick, I can't. I have to get things straitened up here. I am truly sorry. Please forgive me." Rick walked out without a word.

"You're going to lose him, Evy. You need to stop worrying about my wedding and the library. I'm sure Jonathan and I can figure the wedding and I can look after the library. You need to be with Rick."

"Rick wouldn't want to see me now." Evy sat in her chair and started to cry. "Why would he want to go out to dinner so much. I understand the anniversary but why just all of a sudden ask to have din…" She thought hard then ran to her car and went to Rick. When she got to the house Rick had gone upstairs and was sitting on the bed looking at a picture of her murmuring to himself.

"Rick, can we talk?"

"Why? So you can come up with something else that you have to do and walk out on me."

"No. I want to talk to you about this dinner idea. I don't want to lose you and Jenny suggested that I talk to you before that happens. This whole time I was getting ready for your sister's wedding because I felt like it was my own. I got to thinking about what Jonathan said the night he proposed to Jenny and I came to the conclusion that he might be right about that. Why would anyone want to put up with me for the rest of their life? I'm clumsy and to busy really to have a life with anyone." She started to cry again but felt the comfort of Rick's arms around her.

"I want a life with you. No matter how clumsy you are or how busy you get. I don't care because I know that I would be there to help you if you fell or be there to help with work that you can't get down. I would be there to clean up a mess that you might have made because you lost balance and knocked a vase over. I would be there till twelve at night helping shelve books with you. You know the reason I wanted to go to dinner with you? It's because I thought I was going to lose that life. I wasn't spending time with you so I thought if you fell I wouldn't be there to catch you or help you with the books." He hugged her and kissed her forehead. She couldn't believe it. This was better than any dinner she had been to any trip she had gone on. It was even better to her then Egypt. They made another date for the next day and this time Evy wasn't going to miss it for anything. She told Jenny and she was very understanding about the whole thing. She even cried when Evy told her about why Rick had wanted to go to dinner.

"I have to go now Jenny so can you lock up the library when you get finished?"

"Just go you don't need to worry about anything but getting to that date." Jenny smiled at her and caught the keys as Evy walked out the door throwing the keys at her.

Evy got into her car and drove to the one café that she knew Rick would want to meet her at, London Café. She sat at an outside table waiting for Rick to show. Five minutes after she had arrived Rick showed and told her that he could stay for very long because he had to go to work on the road that led to Big Ben. Rick had quit his traveling job to go to construction. He did mostly underground pipes and some building construction. They wanted him to work on roads this time around. He had got the job hopping that he would have a chance to show of his building skills but the opportunity hasn't came. He did have the opportunity to give Evy the shock of her life.

"Evy I was wondering if you would like… I can't believe this… will you marry me?" Rick had reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box with a 14k gold ring with 4 diamonds on it.

"….Oh my god Rick! This is a beautiful ring but I don't know…"

"It's alright you don't have to marry me just think of the ring as an anniversary gift." Rick looked down at his coffee cup.

"No, I was going to say that I don't know where you got the money to get it from." She gave a cute giggle, "I have an answer if you want it."

"Well, I am starting to sweat a little. Please continue."

She leaned over to Rick's ear and whispered, "Of course I will."

Rick went to sleep that night with butterflies in his stomach and he wasn't the only one getting the jitters. Jenny had heard about the engagement and didn't want it to conflict with her wedding. She didn't know to many people so getting a new brides maid would be a hard thing to do. At the same time she did think that it would be awesome for her and Evy to get married at the same time. Jonathan, like Rick, didn't approve to much of the marriage to his sister. He was acting just like Rick, trying to get Evy set on other things and trying to stop the wedding from happening for at least another year because of his wedding, however it wasn't working. Evy was very persistent to use any suggestion that Jenny had and told Jonathan that Jenny wouldn't approve of having the wedding along time from now. She wanted to get married 2 months from now and Evy saw fit to wait for at least 1 month after to get married.


	8. Chapter 8: Practice Make Perfect

**Chapter 8: Practice Makes Perfect**

Jenny and Jonathan's marriage was getting closer and closer. As it did so did tension between Jonathan, Evy and Rick, Jenny. Siblings fighting over all this wedding business and only woman and men agreeing with each other. The thing that Evy and Jenny were having problems with was getting together enough to talk about the wedding. The practice wedding was going to be set for tomorrow and Evy had to make a hole in her schedule to get to it. Rick swore up and down that he wasn't going to go but somehow Evy talked him into it.

"Alright. I have Rick going to the wedding and Jonathan agreeing that he won't freeze up at the alter tomorrow. All you have to work on is getting Jonathan to change that stupid tux to a color that won't show stains. Have fun with that. I think I want you to be my brides maid for my wedding if you want to do it. I have colors picked out, a navy blue with white flowers stitched into the bottom of the dress. You can do what ever you want with your hair and what you put in it as long as you will have a white bracelet or necklace, you choose."

"Navy with white. Sounds like a good combo. I want to have the practice at 7. I don't know why but I've always wanted a night wedding."

"You won't want that at the Tower of London. Night is when it is said to be haunted the most. How about a 4 o'clock practice and a 6 o'clock wedding. It's close to the night but not going to be at night."

"Sounds good to me." She didn't want sounds coming from the tower as the priest was giving the wedding vows. "Where are you going to have your wedding?"

"Rick wants it in a chapel but I don't know if there's one around her pretty enough. I think there is one on 5 blocks from the house but I can't remember the name or the religion that they practice. I think they're a Christian group but it might be Catholic. I'll check it out when we go home. We have agreed on a place for the honeymoon, Paris. Have you and Jonathan decided about honeymoon destination?"

"We've decided to go to Germany, Berlin to be exact." She gave a smile because she found herself thinking of the perfect honeymoon with all the 'Jonathan' disasters.

"What you smiling at?" Evy could help but smile. It was contagious to her, when one person smiled she would always smile.

"I was just thinking of the ways that Jonathan could mess this honeymoon up but it still be fun and maybe even eventful." She winked at Evy which made Evy laugh hard. She would believe it if her brother came home after the honeymoon and tell her that she was an aunt.

"That would be so funny. Jonathan comes in the house first and starts telling me about how I'm an aunt and just faints right there on the living room floor. You come in carrying the baby and Rick comes down stairs and faints falling on top of Jonathan." She was laughing so hard her sides were starting to hurt. Jenny had stopped smiling when Rick had walked in. He hadn't heard what Evy said but she knew that he would ask until he found out what she was laughing about. "Hello honey, what you need?"

"I just came in to find out what time the rehearsal was and I find you laughing. What were you laughing about?"

"Oh, it's nothing. The rehearsal is at 4 and the actual wedding is at 6. She wanted a night wedding but I told her about the ghosts of the Tower of London so we changed it to just before night."

"Ok. Now stop avoiding answering me about what you were laughing at."

"I didn't avoid it, I told you that I was laughing at nothing. It was just something Jenny brought up and I carried on with."

"Ok. Well I guess I'll see you at home and we'll go to this thing together. Good luck tonight." He kissed Evy and walked out of the library.

"Oh my God. What have you done to him? He gave in to easy when he asked about you laughing." Jenny gave Evy a suspicious look, then it turned to a shocked look.

"What?" Evy was puzzled.

"You slept with him didn't you."

"WHAT! No, of course not. He loves me and respects that I don't want to tell him everything. Why do you automatically think that I have slept with your brother?"

"Because I slept with yours. And I don't automatically think that you slept with him. The first thing I thought was that you drugged him into agreement, then I thought you slept with him."

"You slept with my brother! Oh God. I hate when people have to tell me that the have slept with my brother. Not that I hate you now but it just doesn't make me feel secure when I hear that my brother has slept with the 3rd woman in his life." Evy didn't know what she said until it was to late. She put her had to her mouth and tried to take it all back, "I am so sorry that I said that. You are actually his first, really. The others just say that he slept with him." Jenny stormed out of the library with in a red faced fury.

When Evy got home that night it was to find that her whole world was going to be turned upside down by the small mistake that she made of telling Jenny about Jonathan's previous girlfriend. Evy was telling her the truth when she said that most of the woman had just made it up when the told her that they slept with her brother because she knew that no one went into Jonathan's room, Jonathan wouldn't allow it. She walked into the kitchen to find Jenny crying on Rick's shoulder and hearing Rick trying to comfort his crying sister. Jonathan was no where in site. She had a feeling that he went to The Bottom of the Hill, a small bar not to far from their house.

"Rick, can I talk to you in the living room, please?" Evy looked so depressed that Rick put Jenny on a chair next to the one he was sitting in and walked to her and carried her into the living room. "I take it that Jenny has told you everything about our conversation at the library."

"Yes, she did and she also told me that you tried to cover it up. Is that true?" Rick didn't want to put the pressure on her but couldn't help but ask.

"No, I just tried to set things straight. I told her that those women that he went out with just said that they slept with him but they didn't really because my brother is very particular in who goes into his room. He won't even let me in it. He will only let a girl that he really like into his room. The last person that went in there was me, I snuck into the room. Sheila, the one that ran around naked, was the only one allowed in there. I pretty sure she lied about sleeping with him though because she once told me that she walked naked to get Jonathan to sleep with her and after she said that she had she still ran around the house naked." Evy was almost to tears. She was trying to figure out a way to set this thing straight and the more she thought the more she came to the conclusion that she had ended her brother's relationship with the best girl he had ever had.

"Alright. We need to tell Jenny all this so she knows not to stop the wedding. She already told your brother to stay way from her and, I know I was against this from the start, but I really feel sorry for him. She probably won't talk to you so I will have to break it to her. The problem is that she'll think that you told me to say that just to get her to keep the wedding date with Jonathan. How am I suppose to get her to believe that I was told and wanted to let her know about the mistake?" Rick looked perplexed as he was thinking of a way to get this to his sister.

Just as they were about to walk into the kitchen, Jonathan walked in and was carrying something in his hand, it wasn't a bottle of liquor or any thing like that. It was in the shape of a circle and looked rather expensive. He was making his way toward the kitchen, Evy jumped up and stopped him.

"She won't want to see you thanks to me so I thought that I would try to tell her the truth. Won't you forgive me for this? I really am so sorry that I said that."

"Don't worry bout it. I heard what you said through the door and know that you are telling the truth. I want to at least see her before hand that way I can apologize for what you said." He gave a weak smile.

All three of them walked into the kitchen and things started to fly. First was a tea cup that Jenny had been drinking from when Rick was comforting her. Rick made it before she started to through the plate that was on the table as the cup whizzed passed Jonathan. Rick had a feeling that the plate was aimed for Evy and wanted to get to it before Jenny could. He took the plate to the sink and went to sit by his sister.

"These two need to explain something to you, Jenny. Please listen to them because this is very important."

"I won't listen to that horrible man and his bitch of a sister." She turned away from Evy and Jonathan to look out the kitchen window and started to tear up again.

"Please, Jenny, listen to them so they can explain the mistakes that have been made."

"Fine, then I'm going out for a drink." She turned to face them again.

"Evy, tell her what you told me." Rick looked from his sister to his fiancé.

"Jenny, when I told you that Jonathan had slept with other women I didn't mean it. You didn't give me the chance to tell you that those women weren't even allowed into his bedroom. Of all people I thought you would have known that he didn't let people in because when you started to date him he had you sleeping in a separate room. Those women just wanted to get on my nerves so I would get mad and try to through them out. That way Jonathan would come guns blazing to me and start yelling at me."

"It's all true Jenny. I wouldn't let a single person, not even girlfriends, into my room. I have this thing were I have to get to know them so I know they won't steal stuff."

Jenny started to see the logic in what they were saying but was still furious about the other girlfriends, especially that one that ran around naked. "What's that? I hope it's a gift that your gonna give me cause you need something to redeem yourself."

"This is a pre-wedding gift for you for putting up with me for so long and to make up for what my sister told you." He gave the round object to Jenny and she opened it. Inside was another round box but smaller. She opened it up and found a beautiful pearl necklace laying around two diamond earrings. "You said that your grandmother had a pearl necklace and two diamond earrings that she was going to send to you. I went to pick them up at the post office. Will you forgive me for everything that has happened in the last day?"

"Are you crazy or something? I'm not just going to up and forgive you just because you brought me my grandmothers necklace and earrings. Now I might forgive you if you can go and get my wedding dress tomorrow and pick up your tux." She smiled, leaned over toward him and kissed him.

"Tomorrow is the practice. How am I suppose to show up and get the wedding dress?"

"Practice is at 4, my dress will be ready before that." She gave him that duh look.

Evy started to get a little happier and every one was ready for the next day. Evy had to remind her self over and over never to bring things up like women and her brother to Jenny. When she got upstairs and got into bed with Rick, the worst question Rick had ever asked came, "Why do we have to go to this practice?"

"Because your sister is counting on us to be at the wedding not to mention that I am her bridesmaid and you are Jonathan's best man. Besides practice makes perfect."

"Yeah, yeah… wait I'm Jonathan's best man? Since when did that happened?"

"Since I told him you would and since I told you that I love you."

"You trying to bribe me into being your brother's best man?"

"Of course I am, sweetie."


	9. Chapter 9: Wedding Mishaps

**Chapter 9: Weddings Mishaps**

It was the day that Jenny had been waiting for and Jonathan had been fretting over. The day that Rick didn't want to see happen and Evy wanted to happen more than anything except to marry Rick. It was Jenny and Jonathan's wedding day and Jenny had followed all the customs of wedding days such as not seeing the groom before the wedding.

"I just don't understand why she insisted on following traditions that have practiced forever. Why couldn't we break custom?" Jonathan wanted to see his soon to be wife before the wedding but Jenny had locked her door.

"If you break that tradition you will have to deal with bad luck." Evy looked at her brother smiling. She was so excited that her older brother was finally going to settle down and raise a family.

"I would rather see my wife and live with bad luck then having to wait to see her."

"That will come back to haunt you one of these days Jonathan."

"What seeing my wife before marriage?" Jonathan was getting a little furious with this tradition.

"Yes. You will regret it if she gives you the chance."

"She won't give me the chance. She won't unlock the door."

"That's a good thing. Now stop your blubbering and get ready for the wedding." Evy walked out of the room to find Rick. He was getting ready to eat and wasn't in the tux that Jonathan had picked out for him to wear.

"Why aren't you ready for the wedding, and is that the last turkey sandwich?" Evy gave Rick that 'you better not have' look. She was save the sandwich for tonight as her supper. She figured that she would be at the reception hall working on cleaning up.

"Yep it is and I'm not going. I told you I don't want my sister getting married to Jonathan because I didn't like him." Rick stuffed part of the sandwich into his mouth and turned on the TV.

"First I was saving that for my supper tonight and second what is wrong with my brother?" Evy stood there for a while then moved in front of the TV and put her hand on her hip.

"First sorry and your brother is a total idiot. My sister needs a man that will handle his money well and won't go out to find another woman at a bar that he loves to spend so much time at. Now if you will excuse yourself, I would like to watch TV."

Evy reached over and turned the TV off. Rick dropped the sandwich and walked back into the kitchen not wanting to blow up in front of Evy.

"Look, I know my brother isn't all that but he is better than some men that would go out and cheat on their wives just because they aren't getting any or because they found someone more beautiful then their wives. He doesn't like the fact that I am going to marry a man that thinks guns are a hobby and bronze is better then brain." Rick couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Your brother said that bronze is less then brain when he is the one that has neither."

"That wasn't a very good thing to say. I don't want to argue about this so just think of it as doing this for your sister because you love her instead of staying home from your sister's wedding just because my brother." Evy walked out of the kitchen to her bedroom to get ready for the wedding as Rick stood by the sink thinking about what Evy had just said to him.

As Evy and Jenny drove away to get everything set up at the Tower of London, Jonathan was hoping Rick would come because he was the only way he would make it to his own wedding he thought, "Why can't I just take the car? If Ricks not coming it won't matter to him if I take it." So, Jonathan ran to the key rack and grabbed the keys for Rick's car. He drove off with out knowing how long it would take Rick to come around. Rick sat in the study for about 30 minutes brewing over what he was going to do. When Jonathan made it to the courtyard of the tower he was surprised by how much stuff was decorating the area. There were white flowers decorating the entrance to the courtyard and 10 rows of seats for family and friends. The only family that was going to be there was Jenny's side and some of Evy's friends were going to make it just to make sure that she wasn't lying about her brother getting married. As Jonathan made his way to the 3rd row he noticed a person that he was hoping beyond hope wouldn't come. There in the 6th seat of the 3rd row was his ex-girlfriend, Sheila. She looked over just as Jonathan passed and he looked away. As the music of "HERE COMES THE BRIDE" started Jonathan tensed up. Jenny walked through the flowered entrance and was looking more beautiful then ever. Just as she passed the 3rd row, Jonathan saw Sheila scowl at her. He also saw something that made him take a double look. Just as Jenny met with him where the priest was standing, Rick came walking in with his tux on.

"Sorry about the lateness, Jonathan, but you did take my car." Rick glanced over at Evy and smiled.

The priest was almost to the 'I dos' when Rick started acting weird. He started to cough uncontrollably and Evy just took it as a sign that he wasn't liking this part, but then he started to sweat and hold his chest area. After the priest was able to make the I dos work Rick passed out and fell to the floor.

"Rick, are you ok? Rick! Rick wake up!" Evy went to support his head and started to cry as she held a still Rick.


	10. Chapter 10: The Hospital Scene

**Chapter 10: The Hospital Scene**

As they brought Rick into the ER, Evy was full of tears as was Jenny. They couldn't believe what was happening because Rick was in such good heath and was still a little young to have to many problems. The doctor entered the room and was immediately flooded by questions about Rick's condition.

"I haven't had the time to check on what his condition is. I have to get the time to check on him. I think it would be better if you would wait outside. Nurse will you show these two lovely ladies out to the waiting room?" The doctor pointed them out the door and ran to Rick's side. "I will notify you when I find out what is wrong."

When the doctor came out, Evy had torn through seven boxes of tissues and was on her eighth when she looked up.

"You husband is suffering from a infection in the lower part of his lung. He has lost allot of blood do to the infection and we won't be able to save his lung unless we find a compatible piece that will match blood type and size." The doctor had a sudden grim look on his face as he saw Evy start to tear up again.

"Well as far as we know I have the same blood type but I don't know if my lung is big enough." Jenny held Evy as she cried.

"I have the same blood to. I, like Jenny, don't know about the size."

"There are some disadvantages to this surgical process. If we find out that one of you is totally compatible with him there is a chance that the process will kill one of you. If we cut to deep into the lung it could allow blood into the lung and we won't be able to stop it without risking further damage to it. The same situation excises for Rick as well, and we could also miss all of the infection and leave a little on the lung which could spread. I am leaving it up to you two to decide but before you can do that we must take pictures of your lungs to compare size to Ricks."

The doctor led Evy and Jenny to have a MRI done to compare the size of their lungs.

"Well, it looks like you have the right size so I am leaving this procedure to you."

Evy looked at Jenny and then looked back at the doctor, "What percentage is there that Rick and I won't make it?"

"It's about a 40 percent chance that he won't make it and a 40 percent that you won't make it. It's a little high but with the technology that we have we might be able to lower it to about a 25 or 30 percent."

Evy sat down going over the numbers in her head and came to her conclusion, "I'll do it. As long as you make sure that you get every inch of that infection. Another thing I have to know is how much you are taking off my lung because it seems a little odd that I would survive with out a chunk of my lung."

"It's not that big just about 5 inches long and 2 inches thick but when I told you that we could cut to deep what could happen is if the surgeon goes more than 4 inches in he could cut a hole in your lung."

As the doctors prepped for surgery Evy lay on the gurney, waiting to be put under. Rick lay next to her, limp as a boned fish. She reached over an held his hand as the nurse put medicine in her drip. The next thing that Evy can remember is waking up in a white room and pain in her chest. As she began to wake up the doctor walked in and helped her straighten up.

"Be careful now, you do have stitches in you. We don't want to tear them out do we? By the way, the surgery was a success and Rick should be up and walking again in 3 days."

Evy was up after a few hours of laying in bed. She walked to Rick's room trying to be very careful with her stitches. When she got to the room she saw Rick and he couldn't have looked worse. His hair was out of place and he was very pail, but Evy didn't dwell on it and just remembered that she would be reunited with him in just three days unless, she hated to think about it, something went wrong and Rick didn't get better. On the next day, when Evy went to see Rick, he was fully awake and watching TV.

"Well I can see that the surgery didn't change anything about you except the fact that you have some of me in you." She looked at his eyes and smiled.

"Well you weren't her to give me some company and Jenny just left a few minutes ago to check on Jonathan." Rick smiled back and sat up as much as his lung and stitches would allow.

"They said you can go home in three days and they told me that yesterday so you should be able to go home in two more days. How are you feeling right now?"

"I feel pretty good. My chest hurts a little bit but that is obviously something I will feel for a while." He grabbed her hand and pulled her on the bed. It was crowed but they both lay on the bed. Evy put her head on Rick's shoulder and her arm around him. "Where would I be if I didn't have a beautiful, sweet girl like you?" Rick bent his head down and kissed the top of her head.

"You would be dead. Not to seem grim or anything but you would be. They said that the infection would kill you if they didn't find a compatible lung. Now that you have asked me, where would I be if you hadn't made it through all this."

"You would probably break down and start crying uncontrollably, then Jenny and Jonathan would have to stop you from killing yourself after you say for the millionth time that you have nothing to live for because the most handsome man you knew and loved so much is dead." He looked down and smiled again but the reaction that Evy gave him was not the one he hoped for. She was crying and trying to catch her breath as she thought of what Rick said and would have been most likely true. "Hey don't cry. I'm still here, I haven't left you. I won't ever leave you." Again he got a reaction that he wasn't hoping for. She started to cry hard as she thought about the wedding that she couldn't wait for. She wanted to have her wedding before anything else could happen to Rick that might take him away from her.

The second day at the hospital was about the same only Rick didn't make Evy cry. He was actually able to make her laugh quiet a few times causing some discomfort in her lung and chest. Another conversation popped up, however, their wedding.

"Rick, where do you want to get married? A church? A garden? Inside or Outside?" Evy was again laying with him on the bed and had her head on his chest.

"I wouldn't mind getting married outside in the garden out back, but you probably don't want to do that." Rick was thinking of the garden that Evy had planted before they met. It had many different colors of roses and lilies. It had hanging plants such as ferns and small plants that weren't ready to be planted in the ground.

"You mean the garden that I planted. I don't think that's a proper place to get married, in the backyard, but I would be ok with it. If you want to get married there, that's fine with me."

"What do you mean, not a proper place to get married? You did good on that garden and our friends and family should be able to see it. It's a beautiful garden, Evy, and we should get married there."

"Ok. We'll get married in my garden. Do you really think that I did a good job on it?" Evy kind of blushed at the comment of her job with plants that started out as tiny ugly plants.

"Yes. As a boyfriend and soon to be husband, I am not allowed to lie and as a boyfriend and soon to be husband, I am not allowed to tell you that you are fat, or anything you do is horrible. By the way, this is not a lie, you're not fat at all. For me, you are just right." Evy pulled his face to hers and kissed him.

"I love those rules and I love you. We'll get married in the garden and have the reception at the house in the dinning room."

Author's Note: I don't want any one getting on to me about the medical part of this chapter. As I and a friend have found out and told each other, "It's a story, go with it."


	11. Chapter 11: Homeward Bound and Plans

**Chapter 11: Homeward Bound and Plans of a Second Wedding**

It was two days after the surgery and Evy couldn't wait to take Rick home. She had signed him out and they were getting lectured by the doctor to refrain from any stressful activities. Evy got Rick into the car and was driving home when she was take by the beautiful sunset.

"Rick, how would you feel if we got married just as the sun was going down?"

"I wouldn't mind it if that's what you really want. I could work with that."

"I was thinking about getting married at sunset that way the colors of the flowers mix with the beautiful colors of the sunset."

"That's fine with me as long as you don't chicken out and decide to run." He smiled at her and she smiled back. She couldn't take her eyes off the colors of orange, dark blue, and tan in the clouds just above the car.

When they got home they had decided on a date, tomorrow, and decided that they would get married in the garden at sunset. Then they would take off for their honeymoon in some foreign land. As they pulled into the drive they noticed an ambulance and a couple of police cars.

"What the hell happened here?" Rick said going into a furious rage. He only thought of Jonathan and what might have happened to his sister.

"Now Rick, you heard the doctor. No stressful activities."

"I can't help it when police are outside my house with and ambulance."

"Excuse me but it is my house. I am just as worried as you but I am not getting freaked out by it."

"Excuse me miss, do you live here?" A police officer said walking toward both of them.

"Yes I do, officer. What has happened?"

"We got a call about a man trying to break in and we heard gun shots over the phone. Little did we know that there was a furious woman inside with a 44 cal."

"Is every one ok?" Rick asked knowing that the furious woman was his sister.

"Yeah all except the burglar. He was shot in the process of entering the home. Lucky for him he was hit in the shoulder and not anywhere critical."

"Is Jenny going to be arrested?" Evy asked.

"The lady that shot him, no. As far as we can tell it was an act of self defense because in front of the man was a 22."

Evy and Rick breathed a sigh of relief as they saw Jenny and Jonathan walking toward them.

"I did it Rick. Not the man of the house but me."

"So I heard. And where were you may I ask?"

"He was hiding under the kitchen table."

"You are such a chicken! It's a good thing that my sister knows how to use a gun or you would all be dead and we wouldn't have a thing in the house."

"On a happy note though, we have set a date and place for the wedding. Tomorrow, sunset, in the garden." Evy said trying to get off the subject of her brother.

"A little early to be doing that isn't it? I mean he just got out of the hospital and I'm sure that he wants rest."

"Jonathan, he agreed to all this so obviously he is willing to do it." Evy gave her brother a look that simple said 'I'm not going to do it with out his permission'.

All four of them went inside after passing the man that had tried to rob them but failed and ended up with only a bullet wound. Rick was so tired of sleeping in a hospital bed that he went straight to the room and fell asleep as Jonathan, Jenny, and Evy stayed up talking about the events of the night. Jenny was the next to go then Jonathan and Evy followed last after she had finished her cup of tea.


	12. Chapter 12: A Second Mishap

**Chapter 12: A Second Mishap**

When the four woke up the next morning, Evy couldn't believe that she was marring the man of her dreams today. Rick got up and was ready to surprise Evy with his wedding gift. Now, as we all know it is not custom for the husband to give the wife a gift but Rick was an exceptional person. Rick did follow the rules to well and didn't care for customs.

"Honey, will you follow me outside?" Rick asked Evy as she made her way back to the living room and as he came down the stairs.

"In my bath rob? I was hoping to get dressed before I did anything that involved going out of the house." Evy said with a smile.

"Well, I kinda have something to show you but if you would rather you could get dressed before I show you." Rick smiled an evil smile because he knew that she would get anxious about what the thing was and would want to see it more and more with the wait.

Evy ran upstairs to get dressed because, as Rick thought, she was dieing to know what he had for her. When she came back down she quickly grabbed her cup of tea and went to Rick. "I'm ready now."

"Well, that's going to have to wait because I just started my breakfast. Let me finish my eggs and coffee then I will show you." Rick was just rubbing it in. He wanted to see Evy get more and more uppity about see the item.

"Could you please hurry? I want to see what it is right now so if you don't hurry I will go outside my self and find out what it is." Evy was starting to jump up and down with excitement.

Rick finished his food and drink then started to walk toward the front door, "I know that the husband is not suppose to give the bride a gift on their wedding day but I like to break costumes as you know so, I bought you something and had to leave it outside because I thought it would be to big to get into the house without you noticing something extra." He brought Evy outside after blindfolding her so she would see what it was. When he took the blindfold off she squinted in the day light. The first thing that she saw was a figure in the yard but couldn't tell what it was until her eyes adjusted. She couldn't help but jump on Rick and hug him to death when she saw a statue that she had her eyes on for nearly 5 years. As Rick fell to the ground being covered in kisses from his soon to be wife he said, "I take it that you like your present."

"I love it. It the most wonderful thing you could have given me at this point except marrying me today." Evy kissed him once more and got up from the ground. She offered her hand to Rick to help pull him up but he refused to pull his faience back to the ground. He pushed him self up from the ground and that's when they heard it. It sounded as if Jenny had screamed so loud that it knocked a huge object down the stairs.

When Evy and Rick ran into the house they saw a very disturbing site. Jenny was at the top of the stairs on her knees and at the bottom was the thing that hit the floor after Jenny yelled. Jonathan was laying at the bottom of the stairs motionless and bleeding from his right ear. Evy ran to her brother to see if he was breathing but all she felt was a faint heart beat.


	13. Chapter 13: Almost a Hospital Scene

**Chapter 13: Almost a Hospital Scene**

"What happened to him, Jenny?" Evy asked getting a little upset and starting to cry.

"I broke some news to him and he got all excited then tried to run all the way up the stairs and tripped over the carpet and fell right back down the stairs." Jenny was on the ground doing C.P.R. on Jonathan, trying to get him to breath again. She finally stopped and was beginning to wonder if Jonathan was going to live when he opened his eyes and looked at her. As he looked at her a small smile grew from the corner of his mouth until it stretched to a full smile.

"I'm so glad that I lived through that to see how everything would turn out." Jonathan said getting up from the floor. He hugged Jenny and smiled again.

"I'm just glad that you lived." Jenny said giving him a kiss on his cheek and getting closer to him.

"Alright enough of the mushy stuff. What was the news that you almost killed Jonathan with?" Rick was waiting for his sister to come up with some erratic story.

"Well, Rick you might want to sit down for this and Evy you might want to hold him there." Jenny said with caution. She figured that she had already given it away after saying that but Rick sat down and Evy sat by him waiting for the pounce. "I told Jonathan that I was pregnant and that is when he jumped up the stairs and fell." Jonathan, at the time she told Rick this, was in the bathroom cleaning his ear up. He had figured out that it was an excuse to keep Rick away from him.

Rick, however, did not take the news the way Jenny was thinking he would. Evy was about ready to jump on him to keep him from attacking Jenny but he didn't budge. He sat there for a few minutes, which seemed to Evy and Jenny the time he was gaining to catch them off guard, then smiled a wide smile.

"Congratulations sis. I thought you didn't want to have a kid but I guess I was wrong about that." Rick got up and gave her a hug.

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" She asked.

"What? I can't be happy for my sister? I know you think that I would jump all over you about it but I have found out that I need to control that. I just hope that Evy and I can have a child. I thought I would be the one to have it and you would be the one that would take care of it when Evy and I are away." He smiled once again. "Where is the father to be?"

"Probably ran away so you wouldn't beat him." Evy said looking at Rick then looking around for Jonathan.

"I was not running away. I was in the bathroom washing off my ear if that is alright with you." Jonathan said walking back into the living room.

"You were hiding then." Evy said looking at him with a scowl. "You left your pregnant wife here to fend for herself while you coward in the bathroom."

"It's alright Jonathan. I was happy to hear the news about my new niece or nephew." Rick went up to Jonathan and shook his hand. "But if you dare die on my sister, I swear that I will come to the other side and kick your butt." Rick all of a sudden had a serious look on his face.

"Oh Rick, be nice to him. The man just cheated death and is going to have a kid." Jenny said heading toward Jonathan.

"I was just kidding. I don't want to die just to kick his ass." Rick went to Evy and pulled her off to another room. "Now we need to talk about this wedding of ours. Are you still wanting to have it today after all that has happened or do you want to wait?"

"I still want to have it today. But we're going to have to do it inside."

"Why is that?"

Evy pointed out the window, "Because it's raining and I don't want to have the wedding in the rain." She smiled and gave Rick the biggest hug she could.

"Right. Rain is a problem but what if we have a company set up tents in the back yard then we can still have it out there and be dry without taking away the flowers."

"I guess we can do that. If you want to call the company while I talk to Jenny about what to wear for a brides maid dress."

"I'll call them and then talk to Jonathan to see if he has a decent tux to wear." Rick went off to the kitchen to get the phone and phone book as Evy made her way to Jenny and Jonathan.

As Rick talked to the companies that he could find that would put up tents Evy talked to Jenny and Jonathan about what to wear.

"Jenny do you still have that blue dress that you wore at your reception or was that a rental?"

"I still have it. It's upstairs in my closet. Why? Is that what you want me to wear to your wedding?"

"Yes. And Jonathan, Rick wanted to know if you had a decent tux to wear. After all you are his best man."

"I can wear the one I had at my wedding."

"Good. Now that we have that strait I guess we just have to wait on the tents."

"Tents? What tents? You're not having this outside in the rain are you?" Jonathan wasn't going to go outside and ruin his tux just to let his sister get married.

"Yes. Rick said that he didn't want to have it indoors because we wouldn't have the flowers that are outside."

"That is so romantic. Rick wants you to have the wedding that you planned so he will have it out in any weather. I wish this one was more like that." Jenny said looking over at Jonathan.

"That's what makes me unique sweetie. If I was like Rick I would look all unhappy everyday unless I was able to kill something." As Jonathan rambled on Rick walked in the room just behind him. Jenny started to signal to Jonathan so he would stop but he totally ignored it. "I also wouldn't be happy unless I had a gun in my hand and even then I would look like an idiot… he's behind me isn't he?"

"You look like an idiot without holding a gun, Jonathan. London Canvas is coming over to put up the tents for the wedding." Rick sat down next to Evy and kissed her on her forehead.

After a couple of hours talking about how they were going to do the wedding, London Canvas showed up and got to putting up the tents as soon as they told Rick they were there. Evy went off to the kitchen to call for a judge so they could set up a time for the wedding. The judge told her that he had an opening in his schedule at 2:30 p.m. and Rick agreed to having the wedding then. London Canvas came back into the house and told them that the tents were set up and won't be coming down soon. They had to take extra precautions to make sure the tents wouldn't blow over. The tents didn't allow any wind or rain to get in so it was almost like they just added a room to the back of the house. All Evy, Rick, Jonathan, and Jenny could do now was get ready and wait for the judge to come so Evy and Rick could get married.


	14. Chapter 14: Happily Ever After?

**Chapter 14: Happily Ever After?**

Just as "Here Comes The Bride" started, Rick started to sweat. The only one to notice that Rick was pouring water was Jonathan who was just behind him and could see the drops of sweat run down the back of his neck.

"Don't worry so much. It's going to be fine, I don't think she's going to run away now see that it was her idea to do this in the first place. Plus, as she said, you were a great guy to think up a way that she could still have her wedding outdoors where she wanted it." Jonathan placed his hand on Rick's shoulder to try and calm him.

"Thanks Jonathan. I'm sure you'll make a great dad because even though you might think that I hate you and think that your stupid, under all that idiotic stuff you do, your heart is true. Now, I have to ask you to get your damn hand off of my shoulder." Jonathan for a brief moment thought that he was joking about everything but noticed that Rick was in no joking mood. He had calmed his sweating down to a few drops here and there.

Rick turned to the back door of the house and there she was. _This is the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. A beautiful, smart, funny girl that a guy could fall in love with without knowing her. _As his thoughts drifted to how he would remember to say I do instead of skipping right to the kiss, Evy made her way down the center of the tents. She had on a beautiful white dress that had a v-neck and trailed about a foot behind her. She was wearing the necklace that was shaped like a heart and enclosed inside it she felt that her parents were smiling. She could help but think that they were up there right now looking down at her. As she reached the end where Rick, Jonathan, and Jenny stood she looked up at Rick's deep brown eyes. _This is it, Evelyn. You are marring the man of your dreams and it will be all over in a few short minutes._ Evy wanted more than anything for this moment to last, but just as she was coming to terms with the fact that it wasn't, the judge began. As he went through the beginning of the ceremony Evy and Rick waited patiently for their parts.

"Do you, Richard O'Connell, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, honor and cherish till death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you, Evelyn Carnahan, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, honor and cherish till death do you part?"

"I do."

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife." There was a dead silence after the judge finished that sentence where both Evy and Rick's thoughts combined to the thought of _That's it then. We're married and it's all over._ Again Evy wanted it to last but the judge interrupted saying, "Well aren't you going to kiss here?" Rick leaned toward Evy and kissed her for what seemed like hours. They broke apart and went back inside the house married.

Jonathan, Jenny, and some of the other guests followed them throwing rose petals at them. Evy had decided on rose petals because she didn't want to feel hard rice hit her and she knew that Jonathan would probably throw a large ball of it at her. As the reception wore on Evy saw more and more people getting in line to dance with her new husband. Mostly her friends but if she knew them well enough she was going to go over there and break it up, which she did. After they cut the cake and had the bride/groom dance someone new popped out of nowhere. He walked slowly over to where Rick was sitting and introduced himself.

"Richard O'Connell, I'm Sgt. Jameson of the Army. I'm afraid there is need for you in the United States. Your being called to active duty along with a person named Jonathan Carnahan. I take it that would be you?"

"You would be correct on that. Why am I being called into an American problem?" Jonathan was trying to think of what he could do to get out of it but knew there was no hope.

"You're not being called to America. The Royal Air Core would like to speak with you." Sgt. Jameson handed Jonathan a letter from the Royal Air Core. It said that Jonathan was to report for duty as soon as possible.

"I have to tell my wife about this before I go. Is that alright with you Sergeant?" Rick asked. He knew that Evy wouldn't like the news of him going into the Army.

"I need to tell my wife as well."

"You have 30 minutes to explain it to them."

Rick and Jonathan went to their wives and began to explain about the situation.

"How can they do that to you Rick?" Evy was almost in tears. The last thing she wanted for a present was her husband being shipped back to America to serve in the Army.

"I don't know but they're doing it." Rick gave Evy a hug and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can." With those for his last words of good bye Rick headed back to the Sergeant with Jonathan at his side. The three men walked out of the house waving good bye to everyone but most importantly to them, their wives who they may never see again.

**The End**

Author's Note: There will be a sequel to this story. I promises. I hope you enjoyed this story. Please review it.


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